


wherever you are (the place i belong)

by callmeshaq



Series: FOUR Series [1]
Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti)
Genre: Butterflies, M/M, Road Trips, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, assume this is late in the school year, like spring, mike is amazing and we should all love and appreciate him, stan is very In Love, they're high school seniors but that doesn't really matter so
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-01
Updated: 2020-03-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 07:21:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22966108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/callmeshaq/pseuds/callmeshaq
Summary: Stan and Mike take a road trip. Title from "Ready To Run" by One Direction.
Relationships: Mike Hanlon/Stanley Uris
Series: FOUR Series [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1650460
Comments: 6
Kudos: 27





	wherever you are (the place i belong)

Stan is not a person that can be called impulsive. He knows that. His friends know that. His parents know that. He likes to plan things ahead of time. He believes in a schedule and knowing what needs to be done when.

That’s why, as he lays cuddled up to Mike, the suggestion he makes shocks him.

“I’m sorry. You want to do what?” Mike’s fingers pause within Stan’s curls. Stan raises his head from his boyfriend’s chest, making eye contact with him as his hand stays on Mike’s chest.

“Let’s run away,” Stan slowly grins. While he hadn’t originally meant for the comment to slip out of his mouth, he couldn’t think of anything better.

Mike sits up, dropping his hand from Stan’s hair, grabbing each of Stan’s hands with his own. “Baby, what’re you…”

“Let’s leave. No one’ll miss us,” Stan states.

“Except for maybe our parents,” Mike gently replies. “And the Losers.”

“Then we can leave a note, I don’t know. Let’s just go. You and me,” Stan says. He watches as Mike processes the information. Mike likes to take his time and formulate what he wants to say before speaking. It’s one of Stan’s favorite things about him. 

“What’s brought this on?”

Stan had to think about that. He’s never thought about this before. Not until it felt like he and Mike were the only people in the world and nothing else mattered except for each other and that moment.

Stan sighs, “I- I don't know. Maybe I’ve always thought about it? I just know that I’ve said it and now I don’t want to take it back.”

Mike inhales and exhales deeply. “Where would we even go? We’re not swimming in money, Stan. We’re only 18.”

“I still have bar mitzvah money, plus my tutoring money. And you have the money you get from the farm,” Stan counters. He knows what Mike is trying to do, and Mike should know that he’ll have a response ready for anything he says. Even if he did only think of this idea five minutes ago.

“Stan, we can’t just run away,” Mike finally says.

Stan huffs without meaning to, “Well, why not? What’s this town done for us, Mike?”

It may be 2020, but Derry is far behind when it comes to anything outside of the norm. It’s still the same conservative town it had been in its founding. While the hostility Stan and Mike face is not as terrible as those of past generations, it is still nerve-wracking to live there. Mike receives passive aggressive remarks and is followed in corner stores. Stan can barely wear his Star of David necklace or utter a syllable of the Jewish faith. The two receive dirty looks when they walk around town holding hands.

So why not leave? Derry won’t miss them.

“Okay, Stan, but what about after we leave? No high school diploma, not enough money to last us long term. We’d have to have money for food and gas and motels, and you don’t even like motels,” Mike replies. “We’re just kids.”

Stan hates that he’s right. But he’s so tired. He doesn’t want to walk around on eggshells any longer.

“What if we just take a road trip? We can ask our parents, and just leave for a few days. We’ll miss a little school, but that won’t kill us,” Mike suggests. “Okay?” He leans his forward, pressing his forehead to Stan’s.

Stan ponders, but not for long, the pair’s noses brushing. “Okay.”

Mike softly grins, “Okay.”

Their lips meet for a kiss.

\---

It, unsurprisingly, takes some time to convince their parents of the trip, but it leads to success. As long as the boys call or text every hour on the hour to check in, call before bed and when they awaken, then all is fine.

WIth that, Stan and Mike pack up some of their belongings and are on the road within three days.

The two decided to travel through Maine and visit tourist sites within the state. The pair have never been so far away from Derry before. The farthest they have gone is about 2 miles, the nearest city, to go to the mall. Otherwise, it’s just the small town of Derry all of the time. There was never any other reason to leave. There’s a supermarket and a movie theater and schools and parks. But now... now they can see what there is to be offered by the world (well, Maine, anyways).

Stan is glad (ecstatic, really) that he gets to share this with Mike. There’s no one else he can think to spend this first with.

\---

Stan doesn’t like the beach. Or, rather, the idea of one. The heat of the humidity mixed with the sun beating down unrelentlessly on everyone down there, the potentially freezing water, the smell of the salt. And worst of all: sand. 

Sand getting everywhere; in your hair, your mouth, your belongings, places that you never thought could be reached. And never being able to truly get rid of it for days… It's horrifying, really.

But he finds that he’s forgetting about all of that, at the moment. Yes, the sun is overbearing and salt is invading his nostrils and he can already see the sand making its way into his and Mike’s shared beach bag. But Mike overpowers all of that.

Mike, who decided to take an impromptu surfing lesson that was offered to him. Mike, whose laughter sounds like the cadence of wind chimes even with all of the noise that should be preventing Stan from hearing it. Mike, who is constantly checking back with Stan to make sure he is okay back on the sand.

Stan doesn’t know if his boyfriend could be more… just more. He’s amazing.

Stan watches as Mike paddles toward a wave and follows his instructor’s words as he prepares to stand. He manages to ride the small wave for about two seconds before wiping out, but that doesn’t stop him from emerging from the water with a wide smile nor does it stop Stan from cheering for him. Mike turns his attention to Stan and does a triumphant pose.

Stan can’t stop the laugh that bubbles out of his chest as he shakes his head fondly. Mike stays with the instructor for a few minutes before he comes back to the land, approaching Stan. He stands in front of his boyfriend, effectively blocking his view of the water. He sticks out his hand to Stan and angles his body to the side, making an invitation toward the water. 

Normally, Stan would say no. He almost does. The sand is already bad enough, but add that with the water? It would stick to him even more. But then he looks at Mike, and knows that it’s a lost cause.

He doesn’t think he could ever say no to Mike.

Stan places his hand into Mike’s outstretched one, Mike pulling him from the chair. But then Mike grabs him and throws him over his shoulder before taking off in a run.

“No! Mike, no!” Stan pleads, but it would probably be more effective if he wasn’t laughing.

Stan feels Mike preparing to launch him from the position so he closes his eyes to brace himself for the impact. But then it doesn’t happen. He opens his eyes to meet his boyfriend’s, though he’s still being held up.

“Oh, thank God,” Stan sighed. He sees the glint in Mike’s eyes at the phrase. “Don’t even.”

The glint doesn’t leave but Mike doesn’t say it so Stan considers the moment a win. “Can you put me down?”

Mike lights up, “Well, if you insist.”

He lets go and that is when Stan decides Mike Hanlon is the worst.

\---

“This is so peaceful,” Mike states. The two sit on a bench that faces a pond at the Maine Botanical Gardens. Mike’s arm rests behind Stan’s shoulders, the fingers of his free hand intertwined with the fingers of Stan’s left one.

Stan hums, “You like it?”

“I love it,” Mike beams. Stan studies Mike’s soft features as he watches the animals in the pond.

“I knew you would,” Stan smiles a small smile, turning his attention to the body of water in front of them. “Maybe you should be a vet.”

Mike’s head turns, “We’ll see. Depends on how the history thing works out.”

Stan meets Mike’s gaze, “Make sure to update me.”

“You’ll be the first to know,” Mike concurs. 

Stan snorts and stands, pulling Mike up with him, “Let’s go to the…” Stan looks at the map, “Native Butterfly House.”

The couple begins their trek toward the installation.

“I want something like this when we’re older,” Mike says.

“A 295-acre garden?” Stan teases.

“Haha,” Mike jeers, nudging Stan in the side. “I want us to have animals and a room for them to move around… for kids to play around.”

Mike wants a future with him. Of course, Stan has considered a future with his boyfriend but having it confirmed that Mike has thought the same? That Mike wants a family with him?

“I don’t know about the animals,” Stan teases.

Mike grins, “Update me?”

“You’ll be the first to know,” Stan replies, placing a kiss to Mike’s shoulder.

By this time, the pair reaches the butterfly shelter. Mike opens the door and allows Stan to enter first, following directly behind him, making sure to close the door. They’re immediately met by an employee who gives them the rules of the shelter, and then lets them on their way.

The couple walk around the small space hand-in-hand, reading the informational posters as they go. Stan’s in the middle of reading a poster about Apollo butterflies when he hears Mike make a startled noise.

He turns and finds his boyfriend with a Monarch butterfly resting on his shoulder.

“Well, hello, there,” Mike greets. He drops Stan’s hand to offer his finger to the insect, the insect taking the invitation to rest on the male’s finger. Stan notices a couple more butterflies making their way over to his boyfriend. Mike looks so endeared it melts Stan’s heart.

Maybe he’ll allow a bird, then.

\---

Their time away goes by too quickly for Stan. They were gone for around a week, but it feels like it was only one day. It felt freeing to be away from Derry, and now they’re going back to confinement.

They’re going back to uncomfortable stares and subtle-but-not-really racism and passive aggressive Anti-Semitism and outright homophobia.

It makes Stan sad. He really wishes that Derry, somewhere that’s supposed to be home, didn’t make him feel this way.

\---

The couple makes it back to Stan’s house early on a Saturday morning, not expecting the Losers to be there to welcome them back since they all sleep like the dead. But they’re wrong, of course. How could they have expected anything less?

After a small catch-up (very small, Stan is tired), everyone heads home, including Mike, and that is when the feeling truly hits Stan. The weight of being back in Derry sags his shoulders and lowers his head down a bit more. It feels different than before. It feels like lead.

Was it always this bad? No. He doesn’t think so. Maybe seeing a world outside of Derry makes it seem that way? He doesn’t know but everything feels so much heavier. Stan shakes it off to the best of his ability, deciding to take a shower. His shower routine should block out everything.

(It doesn’t but it was worth the effort.)

\---

He and Mike don’t see one another for the rest of the weekend since they have to catch-up on homework. While they are better than Richie and Eddie, they will eventually get distracted and not do their work if they work together. So, really, it’s for the best.

Doesn’t stop Stan from missing him like hell, though.

Nor does it help with the endless amount of weight that seems to be continuously added to his shoulders whenever he leaves the house with his parents for various reasons (Temple upkeep, grocery shopping, whatever… they insist on his help with those things when they know he has homework to catch up on).

Late Sunday night, Stan waits for when he knows his parents are asleep to whip out his phone to text his boyfriend. Seems Mike had the same idea because Stan’s phone lights up with a text notification.

Mikey: open your window xx

Stan rushes to his window and looks out to see his boyfriend standing on the yard. Stan unleashes a giddy smile and opens the window to let his boyfriend enter. Mike climbs the tree and carefully enters the premises, taking off his shoes and arranging them the way Stan prefers as Stan closes and latches the window.

He turns to his boyfriend and pulls him in for a gentle kiss.

“I missed you,” Stan whispers. 

Mike runs his hand through Stan’s curls, “Missed you more.”

_Impossible, _Stan thinks. But he doesn’t argue Mike about it, just pulls him to the mattress. The couple lies down; Mike on his back and Stan’s body half on top of his, half on the mattress. There goes that feeling again.__

__A light feeling in his heart, joy in his soul. He hasn’t felt it since Mike left for his house on Saturday morning. The feeling he had all throughout the road trip. The feeling he had when he had conjured up the idea of running away in the first place._ _

__That’s it. It wasn’t about leaving Derry. It never was. Because right now, he’s in Derry feeling carefree and uplifted and light and at home. Because of Mike. Not anything else._ _

__It’s not until Stan was lying here in Mike’s arms feeling more at home than he ever did at his actual one that he realized that Mike is his home._ _

__And he wouldn’t change that for the world._ _

**Author's Note:**

> i'm sorry that the ending is kinda rushed :/
> 
> Maine Botanical Gardens website: https://www.mainegardens.org/


End file.
